• Breaking News

    Monday, July 27, 2020

    Home Unlabelled Life Is Strange | [NO SPOILERS] Partners in time by Nabu-Nabu

    Life Is Strange | [NO SPOILERS] Partners in time by Nabu-Nabu

    July 27, 2020

    Life Is Strange | [NO SPOILERS] Partners in time by Nabu-Nabu

    [NO SPOILERS] Partners in time by Nabu-Nabu

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 07:28 AM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] She’s also a bitch.

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 12:49 PM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] Life is Strange: Animal Crossing Edition

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 10:52 AM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] Found the perfect way to display my first ever Life is Strange Artwork! (the Butterfly - Poster from Redbubble).

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 09:55 AM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] I edited this photo of Rachel and Chloe in photoshop so you can use it as a background

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 09:15 AM PDT

    [BtS][S1] My thoughts on Before the Storm

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 11:03 AM PDT

    This is my first time posting on this sub, but I have been a fan of Life Is Strange since nearly the beginning. I purchased the first season after coming across it on Steam not long after the first episode's release. The price seemed reasonable, the reviews positive, and the premise intriguing; little did I know how much my life would change. I have since played the first season multiple times (and yes, I ship Pricefield each and every time) and just finished my third full playthrough of Before the Storm; this post will be focusing on the latter. I haven't spent as much time on this subreddit as many of you probably have, so apologies if none of my thoughts are particularly original or if this post is rambly.

    What I didn't like

    • Canon inconsistencies – Especially regarding the timeline. It was established in S1 that Chloe and Rachel were both well over a year older than Max, and a report card in Chloe's room indicates that she was a junior in the 2010-2011 school year, which is in line with her March 1994 birthday and with BtS having her as a sophomore in May 2010. This would put her two grades above Max, who is a senior during 2013-2014; yet in BtS, all of Max's future classmates are somehow now in the same class as Chloe and Rachel. Considering how much the writers clearly respect the source material, you'd think they would have at least done the math here. There are other inconsistencies as well—for example, Chloe knowing Pompidou's name, getting the blue streak in her hair after her sixteenth birthday, and being expelled from Blackwell at least one year earlier than S1 would indicate, but these are relatively minor and don't really bother me.
    • The voice acting from several of the supporting characters – Especially Wells, Samuel, and James. I realize that the devs' options were limited due to the voice actors' strike going on at the time of development, though.
    • No real reason to use the "one day per episode" time frame – It made sense in S1, as the two main characters already knew each other and there was a sense of urgency when it was revealed that a storm was coming in just a few days. For BtS, not only is this time frame not necessary, but it results in Rachel and Chloe's relationship development—going from meeting at the Firewalk concert to being best friends and possibly more in less than 48 hours—feeling rushed and unrealistic.
    • Eliot – Seriously, what the fuck was the point of this character? He was bland, and his turning out to be a creep was the least surprising twist in the game. There was nothing about him that made me ever buy the idea that he and Chloe had been friends; otherwise, the reveal of his true nature in E3 might would have been a good twist. Alternatively, they could have instead showed that he was a genuinely good person who was trying—and failing—to keep Chloe from going down a dark path with Rachel—as opposed to just trying to get into Chloe's pants. As it is, I found him to be very unlikeable, his friendship with Chloe to be very unbelievable, and his ultimate purpose in the story being nothing more than to serve as yet another minor and annoying obstacle. He does point out how terrible Rachel is for Chloe (addressed further down), but it's hard to take this seriously when it's coming from him.
    • Backtalk ability – A decent game mechanic, but way underutilized, especially for something that was clearly intended to be a replacement for Max's time rewind ability.
    • Scenes deliberately designed to stretch out the game's length – Having to get the quarter out of the viewfinder, figuring out how to to sneak into the Blackwell dorm, etc. Scenes like this aren't necessarily all bad—I kinda enjoyed fixing up Chloe's truck—but others just bring the game to a screeching halt. The part where I have to help Rose set the table made me want to bang my head against my keyboard. At least I didn't have to search for bottles this time, I guess.
    • Lack of story branching—Admittedly a major issue S1 had as well. For example, Chloe being expelled from Blackwell vs. being suspended seems to have absolutely no affect on how the story plays out other than dialogue and the manner in which Victoria is prevented from being in The Tempest. Even if the outcome of the game was ultimately the same, there still could have been more variations as to how to get there—e.g., scenes that happen in some playthroughs but not in others, or having to choose between helping two characters and determining which one helps you out later on. As criticized as they were for the lack of story branching in their games, Telltale at least offered options like these. This actually would have been a great way for the backtalk mechanic to play a bigger role—have difficult conversations that would have unlocked entirely new scenes and/or alternate story routes if you won, etc.
    • The ending – As with the story branching, it suffers from similar problems as S1—it mostly comes down to a binary choice, and in this case, it's one that doesn't even affect the overall outcome much other than Rachel's relationship with her parents (though it could perhaps play a bigger role in a BtS sequel). At least this time around they tried to throw a little variety into the ending montage based on previous choices and character interactions.
    • Rachel being toxic and manipulative – This is hinted throughout the game, most notably by William and Eliot. I don't have a problem per se with this choice for how her character is written, but I do have a problem with the fact that some of her more blatantly sociopathic actions are casually brushed aside. For example, she never shows the slightest remorse for causing a forest fire which caused God only knows how much loss to the local wildlife, people's property, and possibly human life as well, nor does anyone ever really call her out on it. Also, if she's kicked out of The Tempest play and you don't have Chloe talk Victoria out of it, Rachel will drug Victoria's tea for no reason other than to get her role back, and for some reason, Chloe seems perfectly fine with this.
    • Third episode—I could write an entire post on this episode alone, but I will try to summarize as best as I can. It's very rushed overall. The story suddenly becomes centered around two minor characters who barely appeared in the first two episodes. Other characters either disappear from the game entirely or are given a hasty conclusion (e.g., Nathan and Samantha being relegated to an overheard conversation and an ending cutscene). Even the scene with Steph, Mikey, and Drew disappointed me a little, as I had hoped they would play a larger part in the story. To make matters worse, Rachel is taken out of the story for much of the episode. They either should have either given the game four (or even five) episodes instead of three, or cut the Damon and Sera plot altogether and instead leave the focus on Chloe and Rachel's relationship. I was also a little annoyed that (please correct me if I'm mistaken) the player's choice as to whether Chloe and Rachel were best friends or more seems to be left behind in the previous episode and not addressed at all in this one.
    • The final post-credits scene – Yes, that one. I wasn't sure what to think the first time I played the game, but the more I've thought about, the more obtuse I think it was for it to have been included. I get what the writers were going for, but it doesn't tell the people who played S1 anything they don't already know, and it's confusing (not to mention a potential major spoiler) to those who have only played BtS. It just felt both unnecessary and cruel.

    What I loved

    • Chloe and Rachel – The best scenes in the game are arguably all the ones where the two of them are interacting with one another – great chemistry thanks in no small part to the great voice performances. When I first heard this game was coming out, I was looking forward to meeting Rachel Amber, and I have to say, I was not disappointed; you can see why Chloe fell for Rachel despite the latter's glaring flaws, and I find myself shamelessly rooting for them every time I play.
    • The Tempest performance – This sort of fits in with the last point I mentioned, but I felt it deserved its own entry. In addition to having some funny moments (it's fun to do replays of it and purposely flub your lines and cues), it's also the scene where Rachel and Chloe fully commit themselves to one another in a really powerful moment. I rank this scene up there alongside the pool scene from S1 as one of my favorites of the entire franchise.
    • The tabletop role-playing game – Not much explanation required here. It was a really fun scene and a great way to introduce the characters of Steph and Mikey.
    • The music – Oh god, the music. As with S1, there was a great selection of licensed songs, but hiring Daughter to do the original soundtrack took it to a whole new level.
    • The clothing choices – I know it was a very minor part of the gameplay, but I really liked this more than I thought I would and wouldn't have minded more customization options. Certain characters responding to certain outfits was a nice touch.
    • Farewell – While the bonus episode is not my favorite in the Life is Strange series (that honor still goes to "Chaos Theory"), I honestly have nothing bad to say about it. I would even consider it to be arguably the most well-executed for what it is—a mostly standalone, slice-of-life story of two best friends spending their final day together before one of them moves away (and tragically, in the Sacrifice Chloe timeline, the last time they ever spend together period). The reveal that it's the same day that William died was clever and heartbreaking. Hannah Telle and Ashly Burch returning to their respective roles after the end of the video game voice actor strike was the icing on the cake. If Max and Chloe never appear in another game, this certainly was not the worst way to say goodbye to the characters.

    Conclusion

    Despite my long-winded criticisms, I actually do love Before the Storm and would happily recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the first season. I don't think anything will ever recreate the feeling I had when I first saw the announcement trailer for Before the Storm and found out that not only would I get to return to the world of Life Is Strange, but that I would be playing my favorite character and finally getting to meet another who had often been mentioned but never seen. Having finished the last season nearly two years before, it seemed like a dream too good to be true. I am eternally grateful to Deck Nine for delivering this experience.

    Apologies for the length; I just wanted to get all my thoughts out, as I have no friends who have played BtS. Thanks for taking the time to read, and I would enjoy hearing your thoughts.

    submitted by /u/FederalMacaron1
    [link] [comments]

    [NO SPOILERS] Chasemarsh Monday: Victoria meets Alice (by polarolds)

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 06:10 AM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] Does anyone have images or PDFs of the in game posters?

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 11:14 PM PDT

    Some of them looked quite lovely, especially the ones in Nathans room, and the ones you could find around the dorms. Much appreciated.

    submitted by /u/its_LoTek
    [link] [comments]

    [NO SPOILERS] So, I’m thinking about doing a cover from the LiS ost. I’m going to do Obstacles first, but I’m wondering which one would want to be seen next?

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 08:55 AM PDT

    [S1] Vent post: It is ludicrous to me that Dontnod considers Max and Chloe's story to be concluded

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 08:23 PM PDT

    Big wall of text incoming. This is meant to be sort of a vent post, and I recognize this opinion may be controversial to some or most LIS fans. This is my attempt to state and explain my opinion, and I'm welcome to criticism/discussion in the comments because just because this is what I think doesn't mean it's right. Anyway, let's go.

    To start off, I loved Life is Strange 2. I thought it was a great story concept and magnificently told, and I expected nothing less. I have no problem with the fact that DN diverted to a story separate from Max and Chloe and Arcadia Bay, and I think they did it as well as they could've. That being said, I do not understand at all why they have arbitrarily decided that Max and Chloe's story is over.

    Most of us have probably heard the quote from LIS's game director, Michel Koch, that being, "Something we know for sure is that in the course of those five episodes of Life is Strange we told the story we wanted to tell about Max and Chloe," and stating pretty flatly that Max and Chloe's story is done and told.

    If DN says that Life is Strange's five episodes completely covered the story that Dontnod wanted to tell about Max and Chloe then I'm not one to call them liars, but that seems pretty interesting to me considering the fact that the Sacrifice Arcadia Bay ending was hardly explored at all outside of non-canon comics and some tidbits in LIS 2, and that Max's character and backstory outside of the fact that she grew up as best friends with Chloe is barely explored or explained at all.

    The argument I've commonly heard against making a sequel based on Sacrifice Arcadia Bay is that it would indicate that one ending is canon over another. First of all, that is not true, as expanding on one possible ending via a game does not necessarily mean that the ending is canon, it just indicates that it is one possible outcome of the first game. Second of all, what really isn't fair to one ending over another is the fact that the Sacrifice Chloe ending looks like Dontnod poured half the Episode 5 production budget into it while Sacrifice Arcadia Bay consists of a one minute long cutscene of driving through one street of the freshly demolished Arcadia Bay, a closing shot which screams in your face, "We were on a tight budget for this one but there could be room for a sequel here so sit tight!"

    I wouldn't even have a problem if Dontnod lobbed a sequel to Deck Nine like they did with Before the Storm, but for Dontnod to say they have no intention of continuing Max and Chloe's story after such a lackluster ending baffles me to no end. I can already see the comments screaming "Oh but the comics," so please spare me. The comics are not canon and even if they were it seems pretty ridiculous from Dontnod or Square Enix's perspective that you would allow such amazing potential for a continuation to a story that you made to be wasted on a comic. Not to say comics aren't a valid form of entertainment or that the LIS comics themselves don't deserve merit, but it is undeniable that this story would be better told and would reach a wider audience (and would make more money) through a game.

    All this text and I haven't even gotten to the second reason Max and Chloe's story shouldn't be done yet, that being that Max as a character was laughably underdeveloped in season 1. I love Max as much as the next LIS fan, but throughout the entirety of Life is Strange Max's backstory and mental state were left as damn near a mystery. The only mentions of Max's life in Seattle are through her internal monologue about things in her room and a little bit of dialogue with Chloe, Max hardly expands on her relationship with her parents or with anybody from her childhood other than Chloe, Max damn near shrugs off the trauma that she's been through throughout LIS 1 except when she's using it to gain leverage in conversations with Chloe and Warren, and overall I just think that Max's character development left a lot to be desired.

    That being said, all of that can be forgiven... if there was some sort of sequel or Max prequel that may have shed some light on who she is or how she dealt with the events of LIS 1. We got a little bit of that in Farewell, but I still would like more insight into Max because, in spite of all of the flaws I mentioned, she still is a good character and has the potential to be developed into a great character if expanded upon.

    It seems to me like Dontnod is afraid of milking Max and Chloe's story too much to the point where it loses the charm it had, but I think they've taken that fear too far. It's hardly milking the story to make one sequel about an ending that was given hardly any love, or to make a game that gives more insight into an underdeveloped character.

    If Dontnod didn't want to make another Max and Chloe game themselves and focus more on new stories set in the same universe, I honestly don't even have a problem with that, but for them to say that the story is done and to seemingly even oppose another developer like Deck Nine to continue it is just weird to me. If nothing else, it has to be clear to at least Square Enix that another Max and Chloe game would at least make money, which makes me think that it is possible that Square Enix could blow off Dontnod entirely and let Deck Nine develop a Max and Chloe game.

    Anyway, sorry if this post seemed a bit rambly or angry or whatever, I just don't understand how Dontnod could strike gold with a story in Life is Strange 1 and then seemingly be willing to abandon it. I do admire their dedication to wanting to pursue new stories and not re-hashing old ones, but in this particular case I believe that dedication carried them a bit too far.

    submitted by /u/SnappySnoot
    [link] [comments]

    [NO SPOILERS] a repost because i couldn't see the options properly. Anyway, can you guys help me choose a fan art idea?

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 04:20 AM PDT

    I wanted to make a LIS fan art but the problem here is i have ideas but not a lot of time.

    View Poll

    submitted by /u/sunnyisnotok
    [link] [comments]

    [No spoilers] Come with me if you want to live strangely (by me)

    Posted: 27 Jul 2020 01:16 AM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS]Max's camera

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 10:21 PM PDT

    [S1 E3] Here's us reacting to a pivotal moment for our favorite Life is Strange ship!

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 03:24 PM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] Crossover between Doctor Who and Life is Strange

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 09:40 PM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] Crossover between Doctor Who and Life is Strange

    This is my first ever post on Reddit, so yay! Hello! My name is Adrian, and I love Life is Strange. And the idea of time travel itself. I also loved Back to the Future, and my favorite show of all time, Doctor Who. So, I am considering making a fiction based on a crossover between LiS and DW. However, I am a bit indecisive as of now, so let me know what you would think if I were to make a crossover fiction! Anyway, I made some cool posters of what crossover would look like in Blender 2.8 and Photoshop. Enjoy!

    https://preview.redd.it/oxpq4f8kwbd51.jpg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8a36986f3f816d59cac20b2123720f6722655700

    https://preview.redd.it/5eikwtolwbd51.jpg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b48c3cf401247851de3e701b00d1e396ce5b9fcd

    submitted by /u/Professor_Adrian
    [link] [comments]

    [NO SPOILERS] Spent the weekend on the Oregon Coast and could definitely see where LIS got its inspiration.

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 06:33 PM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] I mande a tattoo design of Max and Chloe. @joaomoreiraink

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 07:14 PM PDT

    [NO SPOILERS] Life is Strange Themed Guitar

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 09:01 PM PDT

    Uh, hey everyone! I've been a huge fan of LiS since it came out and I recently got a new guitar and I wanted to do a full customize on it (LiS Themed), I don't want something simple like Max's acoustic guitar, but instead a drawing that fills the whole guitar, could someone give me some ideas or a little concept art? Thanks in advance!

    submitted by /u/Rainezi
    [link] [comments]

    [NO SPOILERS] Should I read it?

    Posted: 26 Jul 2020 04:58 PM PDT

    Should I read the comics? I am to scared to read it incase they release a game literally with the same story as the comic Should I?

    submitted by /u/ihavemassivepp
    [link] [comments]
    Read more
    at

    No comments:

    Post a Comment